Two Ondo lawmakers shut out from sitting

There was tension and mild drama, on Thursday, at the Ondo State House of Assembly, as security men at the complex prevented two lawmakers, from entering into the state House of Assembly complex.

The two affected lawmakers, who include, Rasheed Elegbeleye, Akoko North-East Constituency and Festus Akingbaso, representing Idanre Constituency, were prevented from entering the Assembly complex.

The two lawmakers are members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the Assembly, who purportedly kicked against the impeachment plot of the embattled deputy governor of the state, Hon Agboola Ajayi.

It was gathered that the two lawmakers were turned back at the gate of the Assembly by the security men who informed them, the instructions were from above.

One of the two lawmakers made frantic efforts to speak with the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun, but yielded no results while the security men maintained their position in turning them back.

The development was confirmed in a video posted on the twitter handle of one of the lawmakers, Elegbeleye, who said it was “a deliberate act” to shut them out of the hallowed chamber and Assembly complex.

He was seen in the arguing with the security men in the video, protesting against the action of the security men at the gate.

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He said: “We were invited by the parliamentary secretary, for the plenary session but on getting to the gate of the Assembly it was locked and the gatemen ran away.

“We were surprised to see this, after all, we are not suspended, even those suspended have been reinstated by the court.

“So, we called the speaker he did not pick, we went back to our house and on our way back the Speaker called us back pretending to be unaware of our locking out, but we did not return to the House.”

In a related development, the Deputy-Minority Leader and member representing Ondo West constituency 1, Tomide Akinrinbido, tweeted that “anti-impeachment Honorable Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly prevented from entering the house of assembly today to attend plenary.

“Security officers at the gate claimed they are under strict instructions to deny all anti-impeachment lawmakers access.”

However, the spokesman of the Assembly, Mr Gbenga Omole, denied the lawmakers allegations, saying there was no order or reason to lock shut them from performing their legislative duties.

He said the lawmakers were being mischievous about the whole scenario, maintaining that no lawmaker was locked out of the Assembly complex.

Omole said: “These lazy lawmakers are aware we are going on recess today and they just wanted to make some noise as usual.

“Four days ago they claimed thugs prevented them. Today they said they were locked out

“In the video, you can hear that they received the notice to attend Plenary. So if they are officially informed and invited how can they be locked out again, is that not contradictory?”

Meanwhile, members of the state House of Assembly have commenced in a six weeks recess after their plenary on Thursday.

This was announced at the plenary sitting by the Speaker of the Ondo state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Bamidele Oloyelogun, who said the lawmakers would resume back on October 20, 2020 for business.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Two Ondo lawmakers